An air conditioner is one of the crucial HVAC appliances for households in the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Considering the long summers in this country, you definitely need these machines to keep your homes cool, especially during hot months. But have ever stopped and wondered how air cons work? Well, you might be surprised to learn that your air conditioner is not as complicated as you have been imagining.
So how does an air conditioning system work? That is the question this guide is answering. We are looking at air conditioning basics. To help understand the AC better, we start with learning how the machine works.
How Does A Home Air Conditioner Work?
Before we look into how an air conditioner works, it is important to mention that air condition involves removing heat from one point A and dissipate it to point B. With that in mind, an air conditioning system that is simply designed to cool your house by drawing heat from the indoor air and throwing it outdoor. You’ll require an air con installation in Sunshine Coast to combat the hot weather. Air con does not produce cold air as some people think. The machine has two heat exchanges- evaporator and condenser. The evaporator is located inside the room while the condenser is placed on the outside. Between the two coils is a pressure valve. That is how the machine setup looks like.
When it comes to cooling the rooms, the indoor air flows over the evaporator coils with the help of the fan. The evaporator will absorb the heat in the air, and the cooled air is thrown into the room. The absorbed heat is dissipated to the atmosphere through the condenser. That is simply how an air conditioner work to cool your house. However, more technicalities go on inside the machine to have the room cooled. To help you understand this better, let’s look at the working principle of air con.
What Is The Working Principle Of Air Conditioner?
As mentioned above, an air condition two heat exchanges. In addition to condenser and the evaporator, there more two more crucial parts: expansion valve and compressor. That is what makes the entire setup of typical air con.
You start by switching on the machine and setting the desired temperature. The thermostat will sense the variation temperature depend on what you selected and begin to engage the machine. The process begins at the evaporator inside the room. The fan will start drawing warm air into the evaporator coils where the heat in the air is absorbed by circulating refrigerant. That cold air is then released into the room to cool it while the refrigerant becomes hot after absorbing the
heat. The refrigerant also turns into gas after absorbing heat. It is also important to note that evaporator also helps to wring out moisture in the air.
The hot refrigerant moves from the evaporator to the compressor. The work of the compressor is to compress or pump the gas (hot refrigerant) under high pressure. The hot gas is pumped into the condenser where it becomes liquid through the process of condensation. The heat in the hot gas dissipated to the atmosphere through the condenser coils. The cooled refrigerant liquid leaves the condenser through the expansion valve to the evaporator where the process started.
The expansion valves function is to reduce the compressor pressure to allow the liquid to change to vapour (gas) in the evaporator. That is simply the working principle of the air conditioning system. But maintain high efficiency, air con maintenance is crucial. That is why air conditioning services is a must to keep all these components in working order.
How Does An Air Conditioning Unit Work During Summer?
With the principle of operation in mind, you now understand how an air conditioner works during the hot months of summer. During the hot days, the hot air in the room is passed over the evaporator coil where the refrigerant absorbs the heat. The heat in the refrigerant is then carried to the condenser where it is dissipated through the condenser coil. That is how the air conditioning system works during summer.
However, it is important to mention that devices such as thermostats and timers are crucial in improving air conditioning system efficiency. With a thermostat, you can set the indoor temperature that you need to avoid overworking the machine. It is important to note that the air conditioner type you are using could make a slight difference.
What Are The Different Types Of Air Conditioners?
Based on the needs of different households, there are various varieties of air cons in the market. We have selected 4 common types of air conditioning systems in Australia. Note that every type excels in specific conditions and thus you need to select carefully. Here are the main types of air conditioning system that you can select from:
Split Air Conditioner
Split air conditioning system come in two separate units- the indoor unit and outdoor unit. The indoor unit has the evaporator coils while the outdoor part is the compressor and the condenser. The AC is economical for homes with a central furnace since they can share ductwork.
Window Air Condition
As the name suggests, these types of air conditioning systems installed on a standard window. They are small in size and mostly referred to as ‘unitary’ AC systems. They are designed to cool small spaces or single rooms due to their small size. All components including the evaporator, condenser, coils, and compressor are housed in a single box.
Ducted Air Conditioner
These AC units are mostly for commercial use such as offices and hotels. They are super versatile in that they can heat more than one room or a larger space. However, they come in various models. For instance, there are models where all components are in one box or a split one where evaporator and pressure valve are separate from compressor and condenser. So you get to choose depending on your cooling needs.
Central Air Conditioner
If you want to cool big buildings such as movie theatres, hotel, factory or many offices, then central air conditioning system is a perfect choice. The unit cools big spaces where the rest of the ACs cannot deliver. It has a huge compressor which is located outside with the condenser and multiple evaporator units in the individual rooms. So these types of air conditioning systems are available in different sizes depending on your cooling demand.
If you are having problems with your air conditioning system or you need air conditioner installation, we recommend that you seek the services of an air con specialist. Air Con Sunshine Coast is among the best service providers in the area, call us today for help with your air conditioning installation.
